Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Santiago City

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago City: $862 a month against $1,230 in Makati, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Santiago City
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Santiago City Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,230

/mo nomad

Santiago City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Santiago City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Makati and in Santiago City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,230 in Makati versus $862 in Santiago City.

Makati $1,230
Santiago City $862

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Makati versus $1,309 in Santiago City.

Makati $2,137
Santiago City $1,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,044 in Makati versus $1,755 in Santiago City.

Makati $3,044
Santiago City $1,755

Living in Makati is roughly 43% more expensive than in Santiago City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Makati 10% lower, Santiago City 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 ₱408

$6.21 ₱396

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.45 ₱2,455

$38.94 ₱2,486

-1.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 ₱305

$4.56 ₱291

4.82%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ₱166

$2.51 ₱161

3.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₱69.9

$1.10 ₱69.9

-0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.36

$0.53 ₱33.53

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ₱153

$2.30 ₱147

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₱203

$3.06 ₱195

3.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ₱115

$1.87 ₱119

-3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ₱80.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱65.8

$1.04 ₱66.7

-0.96%

Eggs

$2.37 ₱151

$1.36 ₱87.0

74.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.91 ₱441

$7.00 ₱447

-1.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 ₱315

$4.95 ₱316

-0.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.74 ₱430

$6.67 ₱426

1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 ₱263

$2.34 ₱150

76.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 ₱121

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 ₱204

$3.21 ₱205

-0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 ₱143

$2.31 ₱147

-2.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 ₱226

$3.44 ₱220

3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 ₱223

$3.39 ₱217

3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱68.0

$1.07 ₱68.2

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱71.8

$0.54 ₱34.42

109.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.60 ₱166

$2.52 ₱161

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 ₱501

$7.77 ₱496

1.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₱82.5

$1.35 ₱86.3

-4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₱123

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 ₱56.4

$0.23 ₱14.67

282.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ₱3,592

$12.07 ₱771

366.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 ₱41.56

$0.65 ₱41.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.37

$0.21 ₱13.40

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ₱122

$1.86 ₱119

2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱81.6

$1.24 ₱79.4

3.23%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

1.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$18.6K ₱1.2M

1.59%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$151 ₱9,662

$155 ₱9,891

-2.31%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.59 ₱995

$15.75 ₱1,006

-1.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.38 ₱2,003

$31.94 ₱2,039

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 ₱3,401

$32.85 ₱2,097

62.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ₱897

$4.44 ₱284

216.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱461

$6.89 ₱440

4.79%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$776 ₱49.5K

$131 ₱8,373

491.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,391 ₱471.9K

$7,238 ₱462.1K

2.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,823

$32.32 ₱2,063

85.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.96 ₱2,360

$18.96 ₱1,210

94.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 ₱5,173

$80.0 ₱5,107

1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ₱6,441

$54.2 ₱3,460

86.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 ₱52.9K

$251 ₱16.0K

230.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ₱27.4K

$189 ₱12.1K

126.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 ₱137.3K

$538 ₱34.3K

299.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 ₱83.5K

$307 ₱19.6K

326.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,714 ₱364.8K

$2,648 ₱169.1K

115.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 ₱227.8K

$1,225 ₱78.2K

191.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 ₱37.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Makati: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santiago City: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$429 34.8%

Santiago City

$189 21.9% 55.9% $240

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$227 18.5%

Santiago City

$208 24.2% 8.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$198 16.1%

Santiago City

$203 23.5% 2.2% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$125 10.2%

Santiago City

$83 9.7% 33.5% $42

Eating Out

Makati

$121 9.9%

Santiago City

$118 13.6% 3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$68 5.5%

Santiago City

$47 5.4% 31.1% $21

Getting Around

Makati

$61 5%

Santiago City

$15 1.7% 76.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $829 in Makati and $251 in Santiago City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Makati vs $39 in Santiago City. Groceries flip the comparison at $227 vs $208, with Santiago City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇵🇭 Santiago City

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

Same time as Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

108,414

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Makati vs Santiago City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago City wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Makati. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santiago City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,845 in Makati and $1,293 in Santiago City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $829 in Makati versus $251 in Santiago City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,230 per month in Makati versus $862 in Santiago City – Santiago City is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago City runs roughly 79% less than in Makati. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $862 in Santiago City versus $1,230 in Makati, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Santiago City but tight or insufficient in Makati. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Makati and Santiago City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.